Improvement in knob-latches



than sala ASA T. BROOKS, OF NEW BRITA IN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO RUSSILL AND ERWIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE:

Laim Patent No. 92,151, zaad .my o, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN KNOB-LATCEES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part ofthe same,

To all whom it may conce/rn Be it known'that l, ASA T. BuooKs, of New Britain, in the county of I-Iarttbrd, and State of Connecticut, vhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locking Knob-Latches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, and of their mode or manner of operation, reference beingv had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and making a partof this specification.

The nature or character of my invention or improvementconsists in the alrangelnentand conibination with knob-latches, so called, ot' mechanism by which such latches, as the doors to which they arenttached are closed, are locked, and thus prevented from sliding -backward-until-such locking-mechanism is removed or lifted by the action of the key.

Figure 1 shows the position of the latch and the locking-mechanism when the door is open. j

Figure 2 shows the position ot' the saine parts when the door is closed and the latch is locked.

Figure 3 shows the manner of releasing the lockingmechanism by the action of the key.

Figure 4 is a view of the under side of the main latch.

Figure 5 is a detached view of the latch-plate of the locking-mechanisn'x.

Figure (5 is a view of the locking-plate, or bar.

Figure' 7 is a bottom View ot,k the knob-lever.

Figures S and J represent the divided hub.

The main latch A, which can also be operated by the knob, is, in its form and construction, vsubstantially like ordinary latches, except in the slight particulars hereinafter mentioned, and is thrown and kept forward, in the position shown in tig. 1,by means of the spring l. g

The locking-mechanism, for locking such latch A when the door is closed, consists of a latch-plate, B, a full-sized representation of which is shown in tig. 5, which lies partially behind the plate o ofthe latch A,

vand which 'lies against and slides upon the cascplate C.

On the front end of suoli plate B is a small latch, l), which passes through and moves in a suitable opening, or recess c, in the front plate I) ot the case, and which projects out from such plate, as shown in tig. 1, when the door is'open, being so pushed forward by means ofthe spring 2.

The central part of such plate B is cut away, as shown in iig. 5, to receive a stud or projection, d, whichl is ou the under side of the locking-plate or bar E, a full-sized rein'esentation of which is shown in tig. (i. Such plate or bar E is pivoted in a stud, c, projecting from the case-platelC, one end thereof, 3, lying against such plateI C, and the othgrpart, 4, lying over and upon the latch-plate B, the stud cl being in .the cavity f. Such plate or bar E, as well as the latchpla-te B, lies lpartially behind the latch-plate a, and their thicknesses are such that they can have free movement in the space between the latchplate a and the case-plate C. The operation of the latch-plate B and locking-plate or bar E, or the locking-mechanism, is as follows:

The position of such mechanism, before the door is closed, is as shown in tig. l; that is, the small latch b, acted upon by the spring 2, projects beyond the plate D, in the saine manner as does the latch A. As the latch-plate B, with the latch l), is carried forward by the action of the spring 2, the inclined side of the recess f, acting against the stud or projection (l, on

the locking-bar E, raises up the front end, 4, of such plate to the position shown in tig. l, or above the projection or stud g, on the backside of the plate a. of the latch A, so that such'latch can move backward when pressure is applied to its outer end h.

When the door is being closed, the main latch A is forced back, by coming in contact with the strikingplate F, which is attached to the door-casing' as usual, and the projection g, on the under side of the latchplate a, passes below' the front end ofthe locking-bar, and at the same. time the head of the latch b pushes back the latch-plate B within the case.

f When the door is fully closed, the latch A again shoots tin-ward into the opening k, in the strikingf plate, but the small latch b, th e striking-plate being solid in front of it, is prevented shooting tbl-ward, and is held in the position shown in tig. 2, the inclined face of the central cavity f, in the plate l, being pushed back and away from the stud l) ot' thelocking-plaie E. This 1l ite or bar, as soon as t-he main latch A thus shoots tbrward into the striking-plate F, drops, by its own weight or gravity, down behinll the projection g, on thelatch-plate a., and thus etfectually locks the latch A, and prevents its 'being moved or forced backward ontofthe striking-plate, until the locking-bar E shall be raised. v

A projection, l, on the lower: edge of the latch-plate a, prevent-s the locking-bar E dropping too far. Fig. 2 shows the locking-bar in the position just described, that is, locking the latch A.

The latch A is released from the locking-mechanism on the bar E, so as to permit it (the latch) to be moved back ont of the-.striking-plate F, and the door to be opened, in the following manner: A

The key' being insertedin the lock upon the stem m, and turned, presses against the bar n, (which turns on a pivot or stud, 0,) and moves it round until its upper end strikes against the lower cndp, of the knob-lever G, the end p of such lever lying over and projecting below the end 3 of the locking-plate E, and a projection or point, q, ou the under side of such knob-lever, rests within a notch or recess, r, in the end 3 of the locking-plate or bar.v As the key is further turned, the bar 'n moves backwardthc lower end of the knoblever G, and the point or projection q thereon heilig carried from out the notch fr, and along the edge 0f theex-trelne end 3 of the locking-bar, presses down that end, and consequently raises the other end, (such bar E turning ou the stud e,) until it wholly passes above the stud or projection g, ou the under side of the latch-plate a, so that the latch A can be moved back, by the action ofthe key, when the projection s, on the top of' the knob-lever, reaches the end ot' the `slot t, in the latch-plate, and carries along the latch as the knob-lever is. further moved by the key. AS the tirst movement of the knob-lever by the action of the key is to elevate the front end, 4, of the lockinglever, and carry it above the projection g, the knoblever stud or projection s must move in a slot in the plate a, and such slot should be of such extent or length as to allow the front end of the locking-bar to4 be sufticieutly raised, before the. studs beginsA to act on the latch,` to move it back. As soun as the latch is carried entirely out of' the striker, and the. door is opened,.bothlatches are forced forward, as before described, by the springs 1 and 2, and hy'such fbrward movement ofthe latch b and its plate B, the lockingbar is kept elevated, as shown in fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows .the'position of the bar n and knob-lever G,when the latter hasI been nroved backward so as to elevate the front end ofthe locking-bar.

The drawings yshow a series of guards, H, within the latch-case, which are severallyacted upon by different parts ofthe key, and in combination therewith an upright stein, u, on the har n, so arranged that the latch cannot be moved by any key except by such a one as shallso place the guards that the'stein il can pass intoa recess, c, made in each of such guards, before operating the knob-lever or lockingpare; and such drawings also show a key-hole guard, I, which is so connected with the bar An as to close the key-hole as the key is turned; but tlie'se devices, though adding security against the latch being picked, do not in any manner affect the action of the locking-mechanism before described.

As will be observed, the locking-bar or plate E will act,iu locking the latch A, by its own weight or gravity, but a spring may be used in connection with such plate, to render its descent. more posit-ive, if desired or preferred. 4

The' construction of the divided hub J is peculiar, only one part or half of' such hub heilig provided with arms, 3 3, to act upon the' knob-lever G, instead of bothv parts of the hub having arms, as generally heretofore constructed. The part of the hub thus fur nished with arms is the inner portion, shown in fig. S, or that with which the knob on the inside ofthe door is connected, by means of the spindle, and, consequently, assuch knob is turned, the knob-lever will be operated,'and the locking-plate raised, and the latch drawn back. The other, or outcr portion of the hub, fig. 5,), and `with which the outside knob of the door isconnected, rests upon and partly within'tlle inner portion, in a sort of socket, shown in fig. 8, but can turn or revolve freely in either direction upon such inner portion.

The spindle used is the ordinary swivel-spindle. Asv

the outer part ofthe huh, fig. 9, has no arms, the outside knob can be turned in either direction, and round and round, without in any degree affecting the latch, which can only hemoved from withoutby means of the key, while from within, the latch can be drawn back, `and the door opened, by means of the knob alone.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure hy Letters Patent, is

1. VThe combination, with the latch-bolt A, of' the latch-plate B b and the locking-plate E, constructed, arranged, a nd operating substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the main latch or latchb.,lt A, ofthe locking-plate E, with its notch r, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination of the locking-plate E, or its equivalent, with the knob-lever G, when so arranged, that as the latter is moved backward, it will raise the former, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The arrangement of the slot t, or its equivalent, in the latch-plate a, in vrelation to the pin s, on the knob-lever, so as to permit the said lever to have a backward movement (tooperate the locking-bar E) before acting on the main latch.`

5. The combination of the latch-bolt, knob-lever, and locking-plate, so constructed and arranged that the knob-lever, or its equivalent, will a .ljust the locking-mechanism before actuating the latch.

6. The combination, with the locking-plate E, or its equivalent, ofthe key-bn' n, with or without the keyhole guard I, acting upon such locking-bar through the medium of the knob-lever, as described, and for the purposes set forth.

7. In combination with the latch-bolt A, lockingplate E, and' knob-lever G, the construction and ar rangement ofv the divided for the purposes set forth.

l ASA T. BROOKS. XVitnesses:

M. J. WOODRUFF, M. S. Wmnn.

hub J, substantially as and 

